Optical cable with illumination path

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10705307-B2
Application number	US-201815932219-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 16, 2018
Priority date	Feb 16, 2017
Publication date	Jul 7, 2020
Grant date	Jul 7, 2020

Abstract

A cable device includes an elongated transmission member that defines a central axis, outer cover, and illumination element. The outer cover has an outer surface and a bore along its length. The illumination element extends in a direction parallel to the central axis and along a length of the transmission member. The illumination element has first and second exposed portions extending through separated openings of the outer surface of the outer cover. Each of first and second cross-sections of the respective first and second exposed portions define respective first and second illumination element central axes extending through the cross-sections in one or more directions transverse to the central axis of the transmission member. The illumination element is configured to convey a given light such that the given light that enters the first exposed portion of the illumination element exits the second exposed portion of the illumination element.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A cable device comprising:
a jacket having an outer surface, a central bore, and defining a linear or curvilinear central axis;
an illumination element interior of the outer surface of the jacket and extending in a direction parallel to the central axis and along a length of the jacket, the illumination element having first and second exposed portions, the first and the second exposed portions of the illumination element having respective first and second cross-sections and defining first and second illumination element central axes extending orthogonally to the respective first and second cross-sections of the first and the second exposed portions, wherein the illumination element is configured to convey a given light such that the given light that enters the first exposed portion of the illumination element exits the second exposed portion of the illumination element;
cable connectors at opposing ends of the jacket and configured for interfacing with panel connectors, the cable connectors defining first and second connector central axes, wherein either one or both of the first and the second illumination element central axes intersect and extend in one or more directions transverse to the respective first and second connector central axes of the cable connectors;
an optical fiber extending through the central bore of the jacket and through the cable connectors; and
a first auxiliary connector including an angled surface intersecting the first illumination element central axis such that the angled surface redirects light that exits the first exposed portion of the illumination element and defining a portion of a receptacle, the receptacle being configured for receiving a tip of a light source between the first exposed portion of the illumination element and the angled surface, the first exposed portion of the illumination element being within the first auxiliary connector and configured for receiving the given light from the tip of the light source when the tip is received in the receptacle.

2. The cable device of claim 1 , wherein the illumination element and the optical fiber are surrounded by the jacket along respective lengths thereof.

3. The cable device of claim 2 , wherein the illumination element further includes first and second optical elements, the first and second optical elements being configured to convey light and being received through the respective separated openings in the one or more transverse directions to the central axis of the jacket.

4. The cable device of claim 1 , wherein first and second sections of the illumination element that include the first and the second exposed portions of the illumination element, respectively, extend through respective openings in the cable connectors.

5. The cable device of claim 1 , wherein the first and the second exposed portions are adjacent to respective opposing ends of the optical fiber such that the given light that enters the first exposed portion of the illumination element and exits the second exposed portion of the illumination element provides an indication that the opposing ends of the optical fiber are associated with each other.

6. The cable device of claim 1 , wherein the illumination element includes an optical fiber.

7. The cable device of claim 1 , wherein the jacket has an inner surface separated from the outer surface to define a thickness and the central bore of the jacket, and wherein the illumination element extends within at least a portion of the thickness of the jacket.

8. The cable device of claim 1 , wherein the jacket has an inner surface separated from the outer surface to define a thickness and the central bore of the jacket, and wherein a length of the illumination element extends through the central bore.

9. The cable device of claim 1 ,
wherein the central bore includes a cladding and a plurality of cores spaced from each other, the cores being embedded within the cladding and extending through the central bore of the jacket in a direction parallel to the central axis along a length thereof; and
wherein a first core of the cores includes at least a portion of the illumination element and has faces exposed by the cladding, the faces defining first and second core central axes therethrough extending in at least one direction transverse to the central axis of the jacket, wherein the first core is configured to convey a given light such that the given light that enters one of the faces of the first core exits the other of the faces of the first core.

10. The cable device of claim 9 , wherein a second core of the cores is configured for optical connection with an optical fiber connector.

11. The cable device of claim 10 , wherein the faces of the first core are adjacent to respective opposing ends of the second core such that the given light that enters the one face of the first core and exits the other face of the first core provides an indication that opposing ends of the second core are associated with each other.

12. The cable device of claim 9 , further comprising an electrically conductive wire extending through the central bore of the jacket, the electrically conductive wire being configured for electrical connection with an electrical connector.

13. The cable device of claim 12 , wherein the opposing end faces of the first core are adjacent to respective opposing ends of the electrically conductive wire such that the given light that enters the one face of the first core and exits the other face of the first core provides an indication that the opposing ends of the electrically conductive wire are associated with each other.

14. The cable device of claim 1 , wherein a first section of the illumination element that includes the first exposed portion of the illumination element and a second section of the illumination element that includes the second exposed portion of the illumination element are bounded by respective separated openings of the outer surface.

15. The cable device of claim 1 , further comprising a second auxiliary connector including an angled surface, the second exposed portion of the illumination element being within the second auxiliary connector such that at least a portion of the given light that exits the second exposed portion of the illumination element is redirected by the angled surface.

16. The cable device of claim 15 , wherein the angled surface is roughened such that the given light scatters upon hitting the angled surface.

17. The cable device of claim 16 , wherein the angled surface is coated with a fluorescent material.

18. A cable device comprising:
an elongated transmission member defining a linear or curvilinear central axis;
a first jacket having a first outer surface and a first central bore along a length of the first jacket;
an illumination element having a first section extending in a direction parallel to the central axis and along a length of the transmission member and second sections attached to opposite sides of the first section, the second sections of the illumination element having first and second exposed portions having respective first and second cross-sections, each of the first and the second cross-sections defining respective first and second illumination element central axes extending therethrough in one or more directions transverse to the central axis of the transmission member, wherein the illumination element is configured to convey a given light such that the given light that enters the first exposed portion of the illumination element exits the second exposed portion of the illumina

Assignees

• Go Foton Holdings Inc

Inventors

• Takeuchi Kenichiro
• Lu Haiguang

Classifications

• G02B6/562

  locatable, e.g. using magnetic means · CPC title

• G02B6/44

  Mechanical structures for providing tensile strength and external protection for fibres, e.g. optical transmission cables (cables incorporating electric conductors and optical fibres {where features relating to the optical fibres are not of interest} H01B11/22) · CPC title

• H02G15/02 Primary

  Cable terminations (for gas- or oil-filled cables H02G15/22) · CPC title

• H02G15/192

  with support means for ends of the sleeves · CPC title

• G02B6/0006

  Coupling light into the fibre (in general G02B6/4298) · CPC title